


Knowledge is a Person with a Beautiful Desk

by Corpyburd



Category: Ripper Street
Genre: Baker Street, Gen, Victorian
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-11
Updated: 2017-05-11
Packaged: 2018-10-28 20:32:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 774
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10838901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Corpyburd/pseuds/Corpyburd
Summary: Someone thinks they can pull the wool over the Whitechapel Inspectors Reid and Drake eyes. But who is Reid’s mysterious informer.





	Knowledge is a Person with a Beautiful Desk

Inspector Reid leaned in beside Gibbons ear and hissed “did you think for one minute you could get away with fleecing the widowed and sick of Whitechapel without your collar felt?“

“What are you? Investment lawyer, banker, broker or as it would appear conman?”

At that moment, several Leman street constables returned back into the room with Inspector Drake. Reid, still leaning over the man, looked up towards Bennet. 

“No sign of the book or other items you were informed of, Inspector Reid.” began Bennet. He pushed his hands into his pockets then nodded his head towards the prisoner. "Does he still refuse to speak?”

Fixing his gaze on Gibbons, Reid’s nose flared, his top lip twitched and without looking up, growled “Nothing but his name.” Edmund suddenly grabbed the wiry man by his handcuffs, swung him round and down into the green Chesterfield office chair sending it rolling backwards, colliding with the desk.

Jake Gibbons smirked . Stupid flat foot coppers he thought to himself. Couldn’t find horse shit under a horse’s arse. They had no evidence. They would have to let him go.

Now Bennet’s patience snapped, hauling the prisoner towards him. “Smirk all you like Jake. We know you have the book. Listing all the good citizens that you swindled. Their hard earned cash, their policies straight into your pocket”.

Gibbons turned his face away from Bennet, still smirking to himself and stared at the floor. 

“WHERE … IS …THE …BOOK!” blasted Reid at Gibbons. The man simply stared ahead.

“Should we take a crowbar to the floorboards and wall panels in here Inspectors?” asked one of the constables. Bennet raised his eyebrows at Reid, who was now half perched on the desk with arms folded in thought. 

Edmund looked up and shook his head. This man was playing them and Reid knew it. Perhaps a different tack was needed. He removed his bowler hat, placing it on the desk while running his right hand throught his hair several times. He began to eye the desk.

“This is a fine, expensive desk for one who portrays himself as a saviour of the poor” shoving Gibbons own business flyer under his nose. “But, you are infact, just another embezzler” countered Edmund.

Reid stood up, turned and placed his fingertips on the green leather inlay of the desktop. He began to drum softly and surveyed the whole desk. This desk, Edmund thought, something about it, even though his men had searched it thoroughly but found nothing.

“I knew a carpenter once” he began matter-of-factly. “He made cabinets and desks for the rich and famous as well as the infamous of London. Yet every piece of furniture he created was different from the next in subtle ways”.

Edmund started to run his hands over the rosewood and ebony edges of the desk. First the top, then the sides until his hands slid under the desktop. He stopped. And felt an indentation. A handle? Button? He glanced back at Gibbons whose eyes widened and a small trickle of sweat had appeared on his forehead.

He pressed the button underneath. A distinctive click could be heard as 2 secret drawers flew open.

Edmund retrieved a red leather bound book from the left hand side drawer, took his spectacles from his inside pocket put them on while Bennet examined the right drawer. “This is it!” said an excited Edmund, pointing to the ledger. “Names, dates, amounts and bank details. Meticulously written down. The information we seek. The evidence”.

“Well have a butchers at this, Edmund?” replied Bennet, pointing to the other drawer. He took out several cloth bags. The first 3 were crammed with rolls of bank notes. But the next 2 were exceptionally heavy. Bennet ran his tongue over his top lip when he emptied their contents. “Crickey Inspector Drake, Gold sovereigns” exclaimed the officers behind Bennet. 

Gibbons now decided to make a run for it, heading towards the door was taken down by several constables.

The last bag was bulky but lighter. As Bennet emptied it onto the desk, gold wedding bands, earrings, bracelets and brooches spilled from it. He shook his head in disgust “Not only did you defraud these people, you pilfered their personal possessions into the bargain.”

“Take him out of my sight and throw him in the Maria” scowled Edmund.

Reid began to leaf through the ledger as Bennet instructed the officers to gather the evidence.

“Your informer, Edmund, it was a woman, was it not? And she said something strange, if I remember”

“Knowledge is a person with a beautiful desk” replied Reid.

“Yes Bennet, she was the carpenters wife. Newly widowed”.


End file.
